When someone asks what kind of dog you have

This is a forum for bonding with your fellow Dogsters about the traits, quirks and idiosyncrasies of your favorite breed. Please remember that there are absolutely no animal sales or requests for studding or breeding allowed on our sites. All posts and interactions should be in the spirit of Dogster's Community Guidelines and should be fun, friendly and informational. Enjoy!

I always tell people he is a Pit Bull. I don't care I love my dog. He is only 6 months now and people love all over him, then ask what breed he is. When I tell them they usually give me some remark about their bad reputation and I just respond with it's all in how you raise them. We have another Pit Bull who is 3 years old and he was well known around my college campus. We always took him with us to hang out at our friends house and when we didn't everybody made us go home and get him, they love him. It makes me sad when people give remarks about them being bad dogs. I wouldn't trade either one of my dogs for anything!

I believe Andi is a Pit mix, either pit/shepherd, pit/lab, maybe some boxer mixed in. Someone asked me once what breed is my dog and I replied Pit mix, I was told I should never say that and say boxer mix instead. That kinda of irked me because I should not be a shamed of owning a pit mix, in fact if she really is pit mix I am a proud owner of one. She is the sweetest most gentle loving dog I have ever known. Andi is also a very submissive dog and will roll right on her back when being confronted by larger dogs, and even smaller dogs. Not dog agressive at all, in fact I don't think she could ever be agressive all she wants to do is give all dogs and people kisses. She won't even get a fly if it is in the house and flying around her head.

i will say with a loud proud voice,she is a mix...
she is part pitbull/half bull terrier..
but way back than when i got her,pit's were still illegal in the netherlands.
so our vet said we should just say she was a mix.
but it didn't matter any way.
people would judge shayra on her looks.
and i can write a book about the insults i have indured in her lifetime...
but i also must say that i also smacked some in the face for it...
one woman once said you should put such a dog down...
i did not even know her,she was riding a bike past me and my dogs...and than came back 15 minutes after passing us by,just to say that to me.
i got so angry,because shayra is the most loving one there is...i could not help myself and i smacked that woman right of her bike.
that will teach you!

I always tell people that Gar is a pit mix, if I get a negative response I see that as my opportunity to try to educate that person and let them know that they have the wrong perception of the breed. I am proud of him and have no desire to hide his breed.

Seriously depends on who it is/where you're at... Where I live, there are [sadly...] a lot of 'druggies' who own pit bulls simply to show off "I have a big tough dog!" So most people who ask me what kind Otto is, they like pit bulls a lot.
But I do know a few people who [due to the fact that they saw a provoked pit bite a kid when they were younger generally...] are scared to death of pit bulls, so I say "Yeah he's just a mix" if they keep up the suspicion that he's a pit, then I say "Hes got some pit... but some lab & who-knows-what... hes a big baby doll"
Once they get to know Otto though, they love him.

Kinda funny though... my mutt, Shasta, [people say he looks like a small GSD even though he has little-to-none in him] who looks like an innocent angel, can turn into a savage monster for the first 10 minutes of meeting a new dog/stranger, wheras my "big scary monster pit" just gives them that silly-pitty face...

For a purebred/mostly APBT/Staffie/etc... I would probably say "He is a Staffordshire Terrier" because I find that people who are offended at anything with "pit" or "bull" in the name have no clue/could care less what a "Staffordshire" is. So even if you have an APBT if you maybe just say "oh I have a Staffy" they won't give you such foul looks?
Good Luck!
Long Live Mutts and Pits!

I proudly state that she is an American Pit Bull Terrier! I actually had one elderly couple in Petsmart correctly identify her and commend me for bringing her out and letting people see what a good girl she is. Both grew up with the breed, then raised their children with them. They told me that their last had passed at the ripe old age of 16 two years ago, and they decided not to get another, as they couldn't handle one anymore. They adopted a 6 year old Poodle mix from the shelter and said that they will never love another breed more than they loved the APBT.

That's the kind of thing that warms my heart. I bow to their awesomeness

Keira... that is so amazing to see! If I ever own a purebred Pit Bull [or even Staff/Pit Bull.... that should quality as a "Pit Bull" haha] I would DEFINITELY be proud to say who he was when someone asks...

Kinda funny.... people who have owned/done their research on pit bulls [not people who look for JUST the good traits... and ESPECIALLY not JUST the 'bad traits/highly-exaggerated' ones...] find that they love the breed and respect it highly... almost every 'pit bull hater' I know has had ONE bad experience with a "pitbull" and assumes that since THAT dog was a 'bad dog' then ALL pits are 'bad dogs'.... As ashamed as I am to say it... I'll admit... I was a 'pit hater'... my dad always taught me that they can never be trusted... and my Shasta was bit by one when he was younger... but then I talked to people who owned them, did a little research... and eventually I got my very own pit mix! [if it was a purebred/didn't have any suspected Labrador in it, then I couldn't have gotten it due to my dad still hating them]

Sad as I am, Dad still doesnt like pits much... He is having to face the fact though that Otto is a surprisingly trustworthy, sweet, and loyal guy compared to what a pit is supposed to be for him though....

I say he is a mutt or a bull dog because that's what he is. I have no papers on him, I know his parents, but they are also not papered. I was told he was am AmStaff, but since I cant prove it, why do I want to continue to call my dog a pit bull, when there is really only 1 "type" of pit bull, the American pit Bull Terrier. Calling my boy a pit bull when I have no clue about his history is insulting to the Real American pit Bull Terriers out there. They are a wonderful breed, who am I to say cause my dog LOOKS like he MIGHT be a pit bull, that he is?

Especially with this whole Lennox craziness in Ireland who was an American Bull Dog/Labrador mix being killed just from what he looked like, why does anyone who rescued (or found or bought from a BYB with no papers) want to call their pup a specific breed and not a mutt is beyond my thinking. Why people want to tell others what they think their dog MIGHT be is beyond me. Keep your dogs safe, unless they are an APBT, its a mutt or a bull dog, spread the word, maybe the media and mainstream society will actually realize it one day